My thoughts on Jarrad Wright's The Big Lez Show
- W.P. Foley
- May 7
- 4 min read
I’m a writer at heart, that is my chosen artistic form of expression. Words spill out of me like ink from a broken pen. When I get an idea in my head, the only way I know how to express it is through words. Which is why I’m so jealous of creatives that can work in the visual space. Whether they’re a painter, an architect, or a sculptor, visual arts that don’t come from a camera just aren’t my forte, but I’ve always had an appreciation for those who can pull this off.
Of all the visual arts, I’d have to say animation is my favorite. There’s something so weirdly human about a bunch of drawings becoming a living, breathing scene. From shows like Family Guy, which use quite literally the bare minimum to create humor, (just watch a couple of episodes, they use the same frames and movement ALL the time) to a movie like Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse, which took animators almost five whole years to animate ONE sequence that captivates audiences in a mind boggling chase scene, animation is a unique art form. It blends acting, artistry, writing, and innovation to keep audiences interested and coming back for more. Film studios like Pixar, Illumination, and Dreamworks use brand new technologies every day, to combine different frame rates, add details and easter eggs, and just generally inspire audiences every time a new film or show comes out.
Which is why it’s so funny to me that one of the best animated shows I’ve ever seen comes from an Australian, who used stop motion animation, all created through Microsoft Paint. Jarrad Wright, an Aussie, created and released The Big Lez Show in 2012. The first episode, titled “The Flowers,” is very simple, and crudely animated. It follows a conversation between Lez and his friend Sassy the Sasquatch, as they watch Lez’ annoying neighbor Norton realize that Lez messed up his flowers. It’s only 80 seconds long, and honestly, isn’t that funny. It’s fine. The next episode, “The Volcano Bong,” is drop dead hysterical. In episode 2, we meet more of the wacky characters in Brown Town. These include the Sasquatches: Donny the Dealer, who rips the aforementioned bong, Scruffy, the younger, kind of studpid albino, and Wayno, the oldest of the Sasquatches. We also meet Quinton, Lez’s adopted son, though he only says three words, “fuck you dad!” In episode two, we realize the key concept of The Big Lez Show. It’s stoner humor. These Sasquatches are all essentially immune to overdosing on any and all drugs, so they take them all with reckless abandon. Sassy in particular, is known for combining lots of these drugs and serving them up in food and drinks. (s2e02, s2e07)
Why am I writing about this show? It’s clearly just a bunch of poorly animated videos about stoned Australian Sasquatches right? That’s where you're wrong. While the first two seasons are pretty goofy, the third and fourth seasons are utterly spectacular. From the first season to the second, there’s a clear advance in Wright’s animation. It’s crisper, brighter, and way more detailed. From season three to season four however, the animation quality skyrockets even further. The untrained eye would think this is a professional studio production, but it’s one dude writing, animating, and voicing almost every character and episode.
That is what makes The Big Lez Show so special. One guy had an idea, and made it happen, and it turned into a massive success.
But to take it a step further, there’s more to why I love this show so much. Sure it’s absolutely hysterical, despite its crude language and wacky characters. But the show is surprisingly profound and philosophical, all while being a show about friendship. Each season sees the boys trek to “Choomah Island,” a weird and dangerous island filled with Choomahs, deformed yellow duck things. There really isn’t a better way to describe them. But, whenever they’re on Choomah Island, Lez and the gang like to take a bunch of psychedelics, which leads to Lez learning about himself in some way. The animation in the Choomah Island sequences are truly spectacular. While I don’t use psychedelics, I’d imagine that it’s a pretty accurate depiction of what it’s like to trip. But again, everything you see in the show is drawn on MS Paint. It’s truly remarkable.
Somehow, an Aussie with a dream created one of the best pieces of animation I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching, and he made me laugh the entire time. One off lines such as “Take your FUCKEN research with ya!” or “...I don’t know. But I think it’s got something to do with the pyramids,” make me giggle every time. Other scenes take their sweet time for the punch line to hit, like the “Two Mangoes Five Dollas” bit that takes an entire season to build up. That scene actually made me have to turn the episode off for a few minutes because I was laughing so hard.
If you’re looking for a fun, yet surprisingly insightful series, I wholeheartedly recommend Jarrad Wright’s The Big Lez Show and the spin offs that accompany it. I’ve attached some links below where you can find all the episodes presented as a whole season at a time. I’d recommend watching the Big Lez Saga first, then move onto The Mike Nolan Show, followed by Sassy The Sasquatch, followed by Mike Nolan’s Long Weekend, and finish with The Donny and Clarence Show. As well, you can find a playlist linked below with everything in chronological order. It doesn’t really matter what order you watch in, so long as you enjoy, and appreciate just how high quality this piece of art is, and take note of the evolution of the show.
Give the show a watch. You’ll laugh, you’ll think, and you may even get emotional. Thanks for reading.
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